Josef Albers, Formulation : Articulation Portfolio II, Folder 26 1972

Screenprint on Mohawk Superfine Bristol

Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. and Ives-Sillman, Inc.

Blind stamp present

Unframed example from Formulation : Articulation, Albers’s landmark late-career exploration of color, structure, and perceptual instability. This work belongs to Portfolio II, Folder 26, one of the more architectonic compositions in the series, where overlapping planes and angled forms produce a controlled spatial tension characteristic of Albers’s mature practice.

Printed on Mohawk Superfine Bristol, the surface retains a refined matte finish with strong ink saturation and clean edges. The sheet was originally issued folded, as intended for the portfolio format.

Condition

Overall very good vintage condition. Light, scattered age-related spotting to margins, consistent with archival storage and age. No restoration. Please review detail images.

Notes

This work is offered unframed. It will ship flat and well protected. Suitable for professional framing.

Why I Like It

Josef Albers’ Formulation: Articulation series represents one of the most distilled expressions of his lifelong inquiry into perception, structure, and spatial ambiguity.

This work, from Portfolio II, demonstrates Albers’ ability to create architectural depth using only tonal shifts and planar relationships; a restrained geometry that feels simultaneously rigorous and meditative.

Unlike the jewel-toned Homage to the Square paintings, these prints speak to Albers’ Bauhaus roots: clarity over ornament, intellect over spectacle. It is a work that rewards prolonged looking and lives comfortably within a thoughtful interior rather than demanding ceremonial distance.

This piece bridges art and design. It is less an object of preciousness than one of lived inquiry.